8 law enforcement officers involved in Houma shooting death placed on administrative leave

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS July 29, 2015 - 11:37 am EDT

HOUMA, Louisiana — Eight law enforcement officers who shot at a 45-year-old man who was killed after an east Houma car chase Monday have been placed on administrative leave.

The Courier reports (http://bit.ly/1JuMn3M) Jean Paul Falgout was killed in a hail of bullets after he pointed a handgun at the officers who cornered his car.

The shooters who have been temporarily relieved from patrol are only being identified as three Terrebonne sheriff's deputies, three Houma Police officers and two state troopers.

"This is normal procedure, and they will be evaluated again by the end of the week," Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said of his deputies. "We have no doubts and suspicions that this individual wanted to commit suicide by cop."

The pursuit began about noon when a female sheriff's deputy spotted Falgout in a Vietnamese corner store in Dulac, Larpenter said. Falgout was already wanted by authorities for allegedly stealing a license plate he was using on his 2005 Ford Expedition, as well as for a separate theft incident.

Authorities would not release information on the license plate or say why Falgout had stolen it, citing the ongoing investigation.

The deputy, who remains unnamed, recognized Falgout from surveillance video and was familiar with the type of car he drove through previous investigations, Larpenter said. The agency already had a warrant for his arrest.

"When Falgout didn't want to pull over, she chased him about 20 miles north," Larpenter said. "He evaded about three spike blocks that we put out for him, but the last time they caught two of his tires."